Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Art Nouveau — generally considered to have begun in the late 1800s and ended with the start of World War I — was a movement in the decorative arts that drew inspiration from natural forms, such as trees, flowers and, of course, the human figure. The three main themes present in Art Nouveau jewelry and watches were flora, fauna and women.
Art Nouveau, which reached its pinnacle in the year 1900, spawned from artists who rejected the historicism of their predecessors to create an entirely new visual vocabulary. As compared to Art Deco jewelry’s geometric patterns and sharp lines, the extravagant style of antique Art Nouveau jewelry is characterized by curvilinear forms and whiplash lines, vibrant materials and dramatic imagery.
The first art and design movement of the 20th century, Art Nouveau was also a reaction against the Industrial Revolution, and took its inspiration from the theories of the Symbolists, the art of the Pre-Raphaelites, the ideas of John Ruskin and his follower William Morris and, most importantly Japanese crafts. (The country was a fertile ground for inspiration after it was opened to the West in 1854.) The Art Nouveau style touched all manners of the arts, including the most exultant jewelry.
Nature was a favorite muse for artists going back to the 18th and 19th centuries, but in the hands of 20th-century artists, it was depicted in new ways. For example, a withering flower was considered just as beautiful as one in full bloom. Winged creatures, such as insects and birds, were also a popular subject. Dragonflies and butterflies were particular favorites because they morphed so dramatically in different life stages.
This was also a reference to women, whose role in society was evolving. It was not uncommon to see a piece of jewelry that would at once reference a woman as a winged creature (think René Lalique’s famous Dragonfly brooch, circa 1897–98, at the Gulbenkian Collection in Lisbon). However, just as women’s roles were ambiguous, so was their image, as the femmes nouvelle were simultaneously eroticized and romanticized.
In addition to Lalique, vital figures in Art Nouveau jewelry included Louis Comfort Tiffany in the United States, Vladimir Soloviev, who designed jewelry for Peter Carl Fabergé in Russia, Fuset Grau of Spain, Karl Rothmuller of Germany and Philippe Wolfers of Belgium.
Art Nouveau jewelers used every “canvas” imaginable, looking beyond brooches and necklaces to belt buckles, fans, tiaras, dog collars (a type of choker necklace), pocket watches, corsages and hair combs. Multicolored gems and enamel could complete this vision better than diamonds. Jewelers also favored pearls, particularly baroque pearls, for their large size and irregular shape. However, opal was the most popular stone — its iridescence harmonized perfectly with the enamel, and it could be carved into any shape. Art Nouveau jewelry was primarily set in yellow gold.
Find a range of antique Art Nouveau jewelry today on 1stDibs.
1980s French Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Gold Plate
1910s French Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, Opal, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
2010s French Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1910s Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
1910s Russian Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Early 1900s Swiss Antique Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
18k Gold
Early 20th Century Swiss Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
1920s Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
1990s Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
18k Gold
1950s American Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Stainless Steel
1950s Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
14k Gold
1920s Swiss Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, Platinum
Early 2000s Swiss Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s French Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
2010s American Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
14k Gold
20th Century Swiss Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Gold
1910s Swiss Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
18k Gold
1910s Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, Opal, Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s French Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
1960s Swiss Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, White Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, 10k Gold, Platinum
1910s Swiss Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
1910s Swiss Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
1930s Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, Emerald, Pearl, Platinum, Enamel
1920s French Vintage Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Early 20th Century Swiss Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Art Nouveau Wrist Watches
14k Gold
